Well pump plunger



Aug. 15, 1933. J. w. PIPPIN 1,923,040

WELL PUMP PLUNGER Original Filed June 5, 1931 INVENTOR :JPcp/Dln,

ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 15, 1933 UNITED STATES WELL PUMP PLUNGER John W. Pippin,

of one-half to H. R.

Harris County, Tex.

Corpus Christi, Tex., assigner' Giles, Nueces County, Tex., and one-half to W. F.

Hall and George 'Lowrey,

- Application June 5, 1931, Serial No. 542,450

Renewed 2 clainis.

My invention relates to well pump plunger-s and in particular to a new form of packing therefor.

It is a primary object of the invention to provide a pump plunger with a plurality of sets of pumping elements and with means for successively bringing said sets of packing rings into operative relation with the well tubing upon the failure of a next adjacent set.

Another object of the invention is to provide a well pump plunger with a plurality of spaced sets of packing rings and with means for introducing pressure behind each of said sets of rings in succession so that as one set of rings wears out or fails to properly perform the sealing function, a next adjacent set of rings is brought into operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved form of packing rings which will automatically be held in alinement even after being severely wornso Aas not to assume an inclined position with respect to the vertical axis of the pump and thereby result in impairment of the operation thereof. Another object of the invention is to provide carrier rings which will support the packing rings in correctly spaced relation upon the pump plunger and which will effectually prevent any disalinement thereof even after the packing rings have become badly worn inservice.

l Other objects and advantages of the invention not specifically set forth will become apparent during the course of tche following detailed description when read in conjunction with the acm companying drawing which forms a part of this specification and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved pump plunger, the same being shown in a well tubing;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the upper .1. 'L0 portion of the pump plunger, the head thereof being shown in elevation;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the lower portion of the pump plunger; .i Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional View taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary enlarged View of a portion of Fig. 3; and v Fig. 6 is a horizontal section taken on the line 30 6-6 of Fig. 3.

Referring now to the drawing in detail wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout the same, 10 indicates my improved pump plunger which is reciprocated vertically in a well tubing 11 through the medium of a pump rod 12 in a manner well known to this art. The pump plunger 10 comprises a head 12a which is provided with a central bore 13, internally threaded at its lower end as at 14, The hea'd 12a is proo vided at its upper end with a seriesof oil passages 15 connecting the bore 13 with the exterior of November 25, 1932 the pump plunger and aording a passage for the oil upwardly of the plunger. The headil2a terminates in a threaded shank 16 for attachment to the pump rod 12. A

An externally threaded conduit section 17 is threadedly engaged within the lower end of the bore 13, a lock nut 18 being provided to lock the parts against relative rotation. The conduit section 17 is of reduced diameter throughout a major portion of its length on a series of packing rings 19, the particular structure of which will be presently described. The conduit section 17 is enlarged at its lower end to provide oppositely directed shoulders 20 and 21 and terminates in a downwardly extending exteriorly threaded shank 22. The shank 22 as shown in Fig. 3 is threadedly engaged within the internally threaded bore of the valve cage 23 and is provided with a series of upwardly converging conduits 24 to provide an oil passage from the valve cage 23 into the conduit section 17.

The valve cage 23 houses a spring pressed ball valve 25 provided with a guide and follower 26, the particular structure of the ball valve and follower 26 being the subject matter of my co-pending application Ser. No. 533,514, led April 28, 1931. The lower end of the bore of the valve cage 23 is internally threaded as at 27 for the reception of the externally threaded head 28 of a lower conduit section 29. The conduit section 29 is reduced in diameter just below the head 28 to produce a downwardly directed shoulder 30 against which a spacing sleeve 31 is seated, the spacing ring being received over the conduit 29. The conduit section 29 carries a series of packing rings 32 of a construction similar to the rings 19.

The lower end'of the conduit section 29 is exteriorly threaded and is provided with a locking nut 33 which serves the dual purpose of holding the rings 32 in position on said sections and `serving to present a shoulder against which the next adjacent conduit section 34 may abut when the same is threadedly engaged on the lower end of the conduit section 29.

As the packing rings 19 'and 32 are identical in construction, a detail description of the rings 32 will suffice for both. Referring to Figs. 5 and 6, it will be seen that the packing rings 32 comprise metallic spacing rings including a sleeve-like portion 35 which has a loose sliding t on the conduit 29 and is provided with laterally disposed openings or passages 36 which provide a fluid passage between the outer and inner faces of the and has mounted there- F sleeve portion 35. Each of the sleeves 35 terminate at one end in an annular ange 37 which is tapered from the inner to the outer edge thereof. The outer edge of the flange portion 37 is sharply tapered off so as to provide a sharply defined contacting edge 0r ridge 38 at opposite sides of the thickest portion thereof. A composition packing ring 39 is received on the sleeve portion 35 of each of the rings 32. The packing rings 39 are rectangular in cross section and are of such a size as to extend both beyond one edge of the Asleeve 35 and theV outer edge of the ilange portion 37. The particular composition of the rings 39 forms no part of the present invention but it has been found' that rings cut from composition belting have proven very satisfactory in service.

In lassemblying the rings on a conduit section, they are placed with the sleeve portions thereof all directed in the same direction away from the flange portion so that each of the composition packing rings 39 will be clamped between the anges 37 on adjacent rings as clearly shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 5. When the rings are so mounted and end pressure is placed upon the same due to assembly of the pump parts, the composition rings 39 will be slightly compressed between adjacent flanges 3'7 so that their inner edges will It will thus be 'seen that the rings are really in effect clamped between the contact edges 38 which are disposed adjacent the outer edges of the ring.

Referring now to Fig. 2 it will be seen that the conduit section 17 is provided with a plurality of 'passages 40 which lead from the bore thereof to the space behind the packing rings 19 so that the fluid within the bore of the conduit section 17 may pass through said pressure behind said packing rings.

In the case of the set of packing rings 19 they are clamped between the lock nut 18 and the shoulder 20 produced by the enlarged portion of the conduit 17. It will of course be understood that during the operation of the pump, the column of fluid above the plunger 10 is of such a height as to exert a apertures 42 and into the enlarged lower portion 41 of the sleeve 31. As the sleeve portions 35 of the packing rings are loosely tted on the as described for the packing rings 19. l

As long as the packing rings 19 maintain their efllciency. the packing rings 32 will not be brought into operation due to the fact that the rings 19 will serve to prevent the pressure of the column of fluid from expanding the rings 32. However, as soon as .the rings 9 wear out or become inoperative for any other reason the pressure of the column ofiluid will at once pass downopenings 40 and exert wardly to the rings 32 and will work behind said rings through the passage 42 in the sleeve 31 thereby bringing the rings 32 into operation and allowing the pump to continue its service Without renewing the packing rings 19. While I have shown but two sets of packing rings 19 and 32, it will be understood that as many sets of packing rings similar to the rings 32 may be provided below the ring section 19 so that as soon as one set wears out, another set may be brought into operation thereby greatly prolonging the length of time that the pump may be left in the well without pulling the same to renew the packing thereof.

While I have-shown the pump with the packing rings located above the ball valve cage 23, this arrangement is not inflexible', but it should be noted that the openings 40 placing the conduit section in communication with the space behind the packing rings should be used only with the top set of rings, otherwise the pressure within the conduit would be introduced behind all the rings simultaneously which would defeat one of the features of my pump, that is, the feature of having each succeeding lower set of rings come into service when the next adjacent upper set ceases to be eifective.

It will be noted that the sleeves 35 of 'the packing rings form effective guides which prevents the composition parts of the ring from canting vto one side after they become badly worn. It will thus be seen thatno matter how badly the composition portions yof the rings become worn, the rings will be held in correctly spaced relation by means of the sleeve portions thereof and will thereby be prevented from jamming to one side and thereby affecting the operation of the pump.

Although a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, it will be understood that various changes in the details of construction may be made Without departing from the spirit of the invention as dened by the appended claims. f

I claim:N

1. In a packing for well of superposed elements each comprising a metallic carrier ring comprising a sleeve portion and an annular flange portion formed therewith, said flange portion being substantially wedge shaped in cross section with the thickest portion adjacentthe outer edge thereof, and a composition packing ring received on said sleeve portion and bearing at one side against sald annular flange portion, and at the other side against the annular flange portion of a next adjacent packing element.

2. In a well pump plunger, comprising a conduit section, a plurality of superposed packing elements carried thereby, each of said elements comprising a metallic carrier ring having a sleeve portion slidably received on said conduit section, an annular flange portion formed with said sleeve portion, said ange portion being substantially wedge-shaped in cross section with the thickest portion adjacent the outer edge thereof, and a composition packing ring received on said sleeve portion and bearing at one side against said annular ange portion and at the other plungers, a plurality JOHN W. PIPPIN. 

